about the same old bitter things
by daughter-of-october
Summary: [Characters: Laxus Dreyar, Cana Alberona] # Summary: They shared a secret and a pain. # Requested by and dedicated to anonimous2000 on tumblr.


**_about the same old bitter things_**

**Characters**: Laxus Dreyar, Cana Alberona

**Summary**: They shared a secret and a pain.

Requested by and dedicated to _anonimous2000_ on tumblr. I hope you like it even though it got kinda long.

* * *

**I**

* * *

She was running but she knew that there was no way that she might get rid of those who had been chasing her for the past two hours. She cursed under her breath as she headed for the forest, praying that she might shake them off there where they would no longer be able to see her but once more, luck was not with her.

She jumped over a fallen tree, hoping that this would buy her at least more time, time she needed get back to her teammates but then, as her feet connected with the earth again, a sharp pain travelled through her ankle and up her leg before she fell to the ground, unable to continue her running any longer. She sat up and exhaled, forcing herself to act rationally now as everything else would inevitably worsen her situation.

She grabbed into her bag, the bag that contained all her cards and carefully went through the different cards until she found the one she had been looking for. She placed the card onto the ground, ignoring the pain inside her chest because while she disliked losing her card, she preferred not to be abducted and used against her own guild.

She looked up as heavy boots crushed twigs and any hope she had had that she been wrong vanished instantly as it was indeed the person she had feared that it might be. She lowered her head again as she was grabbed and pulled up.

"So, Cana-chan, how does it feel to know that you just won an all-inclusive vacation in our headquarters?" the man taunted with the widest smirk possible.

She looked at him while she exhaled. "I don't have exactly any saying in this anyway, right," she said drily before she was carried away. "You do realise that the guild will find me, right?"

"They can find you all they want … but don't you know what they say about Raven Tail, Cana-chan? No one taken by us has ever been rescued before he was broken beyond repair."

She sighed. "We will see about that, won't we?" she asked with defiance gleaming in her eyes.

* * *

**II**

* * *

The very moment Laxus Dreyar had been called back from his S-class job, he had known that someone was very, very wrong. His grandfather usually respected his decision to spend the fewest amount of time possible at the guild and this meant that Laxus usually was only in Magnolia when he had to pick up a new job.

This time, however, Makarov stood at the train station as the train that brought grandson back to the town rolled in. The old man's face was darkened and a deep frown had appeared where no frown had been beforehand. Together with the fact that Makarov rarely left the guildhall lately unless he had a meeting to attend, this spelled bad news.

"What's up, Gramps?" the Lightening Mage sighed.

"We have to talk here and not in the guild," Makarov said as he started walking. "Someone went missing … and I haven't informed the guild yet as it might cause serious trouble for many people. I tried to call Erza … but I couldn't contact her."

"Did Natsu lose his way again?" Laxus asked as he rolled his eyes.

"No," his grandfather replied as he shook his head. "We are talking about Cana. She was on a job with Gray and according to him, they got separated and couldn't reunite later on. Usually, I would assume that she just went to get another few drinks … but Gray came back three days ago. Also, he found one of her cards. That makes things serious."

"Because…"

"Because Cana**never** – and I repeat myself for emphasis – _never_ would lose a card. Also, this card … it seems like she was kidnapped and … dropped the card to leave a trace," the master said. "We need her back, you understand? Otherwise, there will be serious trouble."

"She's S-class potential, she can get herself out of trouble without anyone's help," Laxus said with a shrug. "So since you called me back, there's more to it than just that Cana got kidnapped. If it was just kidnapping, you would have send Gray and Macao as they are her buddies."

Makarov nodded as he grabbed into the pocket of his coat and held out the magical card. "To you see the picture, a raven," he said. "And now, you can guess who kidnapped her."

Laxus took the card to get a better look before he pocketed it. "Daddy dearest," he growled before he looked back at the train station. "I guess I know why you are sending me and not Gray … I know that bastard … and I know what I have to expect from him…" He raised his head. "What do the others think about where she is?"

"I had Mira start the rumour that Cana stayed back to explore the area a little more," his grandfather said. "At the moment, no one but her knows that Cana was kidnapped. Gray was sent out for another job the very day he returned with the bad news. I told him that I would make sure that we would get Cana back."

"I might need backup, someone level-headed. Mystogan, for example. He can work undercover."

"He is on a job right now … but I can tell Erza that she would head after you once she comes back," his grandfather offered. "She is scheduled to be back in a few days while I doubt that Mystogan will return for the next few days. Mira is out of question and Gildarts…"

"If you have any respect for Cana, you leave Gildarts in the dark about this. He can come back all he wants but even if he noticed Cana to be missing, you cannot tell him what happened."

"So … you know as well?"

Laxus was silent for a moment before he took up walking back to the train station. "Let's just say that there is hardly anything I do not know," he said before he disappeared in the crowd.

* * *

**III**

* * *

Raven Tail's headquarters was indeed a place where the hope of escaping was crushed within seconds. It was not even the fact that everywhere stood mages who were under orders to kill if they considered it necessary in order to stop someone. It was also because the cells were part of a large system of caves and hallways under the ground. Also, the only entrance was the living room of the dark guild's master and this was hardly a way anyone was willed to take.

But as the hope mages of Fairy Tail had was rarely based on realistic chances they actually had to escape a situation but mostly on the faith they had into their nakama, Cana did not despair as she was pushed into a cell after someone, a shy red-haired girl with wide red eyes full of terror, had bandaged her broken ankle.

Her cards had been taken as she was a known holder mage and thus could not employ her magic without something to direct it. Disarming her had been an easy and ridiculously obvious step to ensure that she would not miraculously disappear which would render the efforts that it had taken to capture her pointless.

And yet, she was not overly worried. The trace she had left would have been found and the master would understand who had kidnapped her. He would send Erza and Gray to get her out of here and in a few days, she would be back in Magnolia, sipping her drinks as if she had never been taken in first place. She had been kidnapped once more, back then on purpose to beat a bunch of bandits from the inside of their hideout, and so she knew a things or two about being in enemy's hands.

Right now, she was more or less annoyed by the lack of alcohol in her cell before she acknowledged this to be her biggest advantage. Being infamous for being Fairy Tail's resident drunk, people tend to forget that behind the reckless personality of the drinker, a smarter and sharper personality lurked, a personality able to come up with plans.

That was the upside at being infamous for failing at any S-class exam in the past years – people had stopped to remember that being S-class potential meant to be rather cunning. The last two exams, she could have done it. It had been in arm's reach and yet, she had failed. She had tripped over her own feet, being disqualified in the year when no one had passed the exam.

These former mistakes now served to let her breathe easier now as she knew that she would be underestimated by her capturers as she most likely held the record for the most times a wizard had not been promoted to S-class. And yet, this had been usually undeserved as she had – if her drinking habit was overlooked – the trademarks an S-class mage needed. She could be rather level-headed and composed, even when she faced great danger such as now and she had great leadership qualities, sometimes even surpassing Erza as Cana was not as caught up in the entire nakama and fairness business as the redhead was. The card mage was cunning and could make difficult decisions rather easy if they were for the sake of those she cared about the most.

If anything, she had to thank Raven Tail for not giving her any alcohol. To them, it might be a way supposed to drive her crazy as they had most likely misunderstood her liking for alcoholic drinks as an addiction while it usually served to sedate herself and keep her from thinking about too serious things. If they had not taken her cards too, she would have busied herself with fortunetelling to estimate how long she would have to stay in the cell but as it was, she did not complain as much as others might have.

The most important thing now was that she stayed focused and that she paid attention to her surroundings. Ivan had said that no one left the dungeons of his guild without being mentally broken. She was more than willed to be the first one to make it out sane.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she leaned against the cold wall. "I swear by everything I got, Mira," she muttered, "when I get back, I will start the most ridiculous rumours about you … _'what could happen if you work with Gray?'_ Are you fucking kidding me?"

* * *

**IV**

* * *

Finding Raven Tail had been one thing.

Sneaking in was an entirely different one. Laxus knew the building and the caves from earlier visits – back when he had been talking with his father. This had been years ago but the memory of how there was literally no way into the cells but through the guild master's living room was still etched into his mind.

There were dungeons easier to break in – like nearly everything the council did to keep their prisoners – but Laxus did not allow that this actually worried him. His father might have a prison close to perfection but he had the intelligence to get in and out as he pleased anyway. Ivan's pride and the way he looked down on everyone would be the deciding factor of the operation.

Laxus knew his father a little too well because they were both too proud so could predict a few of his actions. Ivan would never expect someone to attack openly as this was plain foolishness. Raven Tail was – while not as strong as Fairy Tail or one of the guilds of the Balam Alliance – a opponent too strong for a single fighter and most people would have rather counted on intelligence and cunningness instead of raw strength to deal with them.

Laxus thought differently – mostly because time was something he did not have. Cana had been taken four days ago. One day later, Gray had informed the guild. Two days later, Makarov had decided to call him back. Three days later, Laxus had arrived in Magnolia and now, four days later, he had reached the hideout which had taken longer than expected as he had had to make sure that Raven Tail would not be aware of his involvement into the kidnapping.

The point was however that Laxus had no time to play around. While Ivan enjoyed torture no matter how it was done, he had a special liking for psycho terror and while the lightening mage was rather sure that Cana would be able to deal with physical violence, he was not sure how she would fare against his father's mind games as they had been designed to exploit small weaknesses – and if Ivan had somehow figured out the Gildarts-business, there was no telling how far he would go to break down Cana's defiance.

He knew that Cana was usually rather easy-going and seemed to have no weakness. She had dealt with Mira's rude remarks for years without showing any annoyance or concern about what the white-haired girl said. Thus, he could assume that she would not let Ivan get to her soon either but no matter what Laxus hoped, he had to hurry up a little bit.

Once more he cursed himself for failing at transformation magic. If he could steal his father's identity for a few minutes at least, this entire operation would be relatively easy. In any case, he had still his muscles and he could afford fighting his own father and maybe a few of the other dark mages before he would have to get Cana out of whatever cell they were keeping her in.

"Keep calm, Dreyar," he scolded himself. "It's not like she actually matters. You are doing your grandfather a favour to improve your chances to be master once he retires."

* * *

**V**

* * *

Cana knew that her time to consider things calmly was over the very moment she heard footsteps. She exhaled and gulped. She had to keep her thoughts together and she could not allow him to figure out her weakness as this would ruin everything for her. She remembered Erza's words in the sickbay after the failed S-class exam. _"Never allow anyone to make you feel like you are worthless, Cana. You are an amazing mage and the only one who really gets you down is yourself when you are hating life and that things didn't work the way they were supposed to."_

Well, it was time to take these words seriously and keep it in mind that she was indeed a valuable member of Fairy Tail even though Ivan had probably arrived to tell her the opposite. Clinging to the words of her friend would be one way to deal with the situation.

"Cana-chan," Ivan said with the faked smile of someone who had not smiled sincerely in years as he sat down on a chair on the other side of the cell door. "It has been a while since I saw you … you grew up since the days when you were collecting every little article about Gildarts you could get your hands on … did the old fool recognise you by now?"

She froze. She had expected different attacks, attacks against her guild, him telling her how stupid she was for staying with Fairy Tail for so many years when she might have been recognised for more than being the drunk fortune teller in another guild. Hell, she had halfway expected an attempt to recruit her for Raven Tail. She had expected him to toy around with her doubts, with the questions she had asked herself in the past. She had never expected him to attack her from that angle – especially since she had not believed that he knew about Gildarts.

"Oh?" she asked. "What makes you think that, bastard?"

"I was there when your parents married, Cana-chan, and unlike Gildarts, I have a decent memory for faces," he shrugged. "And since you look exactly like your mother, you can hardly tell me that you are not his daughter. Why do you think did we kidnap you in first place? Father-chan will take months to realise that you are missing. And if he feels guilty enough, he will send your dearest daddy to get you back … only that Gildarts will not find you alive."

"A revenge plot?" she asked, cursing herself for giving away that she was not as dumb as he had probably assumed so far. This might be something she would regret soon.

"Excellent deduction, yes," he smiled smugly. "Gildarts was the one who got me excommunicated and I promised him that I would take revenge one day. I couldn't kill your mother as she died before I could plan something regarding her … but when we kill you, Gildarts will realise that not only Cornelia-chan's but also your death is his fault alone."

She lowered her gaze. "He won't care," she said lowly. "He never cared before. You had a better chance if you would kidnap Natsu. He would … he would come to save him."

"That is the only good thing about Gildarts-chan: he is unpredictable … maybe he will come for you, maybe he won't. And if he doesn't come for you, he might come for Natsu-chan … or Erza-chan … or someone else. I learned one thing in all the years I knew him: he is loyal to a fault … the kind of guy who would set the entire world aflame to save one person."

"You do realise that Makarov will realise that you are behind of this?"

"The good thing about father-chan is that he always tries to see the best in everyone … that includes his fallen son. He might be suspicious but it will take him many days to be sure."

"Oi, Ivan!"

Cana looked up just in time to see how Laxus' foot collided with his father's head and knocked Ivan out. She had never been this happy to see Laxus somewhere because usually, he was getting on her nerves but even she could not bring herself to be mad at the man who was currently rescuing her from a fate that might make death seem like a preferable option.

"Did the master understand the hint?" she asked as she impatiently tapped against the lock.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, Cana," he said as he rolled his eyes. "It's not my habit to break into my father's personal prison to check out who he is currently torturing a little."

She glared at him as he finally opened the door and helped her up. "Well, I somehow get the vibe that you are mostly here because it was your dream to kick your father into the face."

"And seriously, I wouldn't deny it," he said amused as he wrapped one arm around her and half-dragged, half-carried her down the hallway while her handbag hung loosely over his shoulder. She chuckled as she saw it but chose not to comment as she was too busy burning the image into the back of her mind so that she would have something to laugh about for a few years.

* * *

**VI**

* * *

They did not talk on the way to the train and neither did they talk at the beginning. Laxus listened to his music and Cana who was more than happy to have her cards back, dedicated herself to a fortune telling or two. It was rare for her to be separated from her cards and to get her hands back on them after a few days was relaxing. The dependence on her cards had sometimes annoyed her as it made her vulnerable. Now, she felt safer again. Her cards were in easy reach and even though she could not move freely as her ankle was still broken, she had someone to deal with any attacker she could not get with her cards.

Finally, after a few hours, Laxus broke the silence. "So, that bastard kidnapped you to get his revenge on Gildarts?" he asked, once more wondering what was wring with Ivan's head.

She raised her head and shrugged. "Did you expect something else?" she asked, her hands trembling slightly. "According to him, the excommunication was because of Gildarts. I would be angry too … but … he got the last person Gildarts would ever come for. He should have gone for Natsu … or Erza … or even you … not me."

Compared to Laxus, Cana was someone who destroyed herself with ease. The words she used and her thoughts often reminded him of knives she stabbed into her own heart and sword she used to hurt herself even more. Cana frequently felt like she was worthless – that was common knowledge and probably also the reason behind her alcohol addiction. She tended to rub salt into her wounds, to hurt herself even further when she was already suffering. At the beginning, he had been thankful that her frustrating ways of talking about events mostly served to badmouth herself but now, he felt sorry for her. This was undeserved.

"Oi, don't say things like that," he said. "Gildarts would have come for everyone, that guy's loyal to every single member of the guild."

She raised her eyebrow. "He would have come for his nakama but not for his _daughter_," she spat, pain evident in her voice and in her eyes. She seemed to flinch at her own words, just another moment that showed how easy it was for her to say things to hurt herself.

"We are the same when it comes to our fathers … we both tried pleasing them to the point where it hurt in the past … I am just happy that this is over for me now," he muttered. "Look, Gildarts' is an idiot, okay? You really shouldn't do things for him but for yourself. He is not worth that you ruin your health over and over," he added in remembrance of her angry tears after she had broken her foot during the last S-class exam.

"You can't understand," she said. "You are too much like him … distant and never steady."

"Better than switching sides whenever you see it fitting," he said. "You were never loyal to either Erza or Mira … you were always on the side that seemed to be about to win. You were the one to spread the rumour that Evergreen has a crush on Elfman."

"Which she has," she muttered defiantly. "Look, do you think it is easy that I can tell what will happen? I don't need you to tell me what I am doing wrong, seriously. I know this myself just too well, alright? I don't feel comfortable when Gildarts suddenly arrives and walks into the guild like he owes the goddamn place. I hate to know that nothing I can do will ever be good enough."

"If you would stop drinking so much, you might feel better about yourself again."

She shook her head. "It's not that easy," she said. "And I don't feel like explaining to be honest. I know that you weren't always like that … that something or rather someone turned you cold and distant. I guess that this is what happens if you realise that something will never work … you became like that after … after your father … implanted that stuff, right?"

He wondered how she knew about the Dragon Lacrima inside of him but then he remembered that someone had had to have stayed by his side after Gildarts had brought him back and that Cana had most likely volunteered to attract her father's attention for a moment. "Yeah," he admitted. "That's … that was … that was … terrible … I never felt that betrayed before."

"But … I … I cannot afford to go that way as well," she whispered. "I cannot afford to grow cold … I have to … I have to make him realise what … what I couldn't say yet. I don't want to end up as some bitter old woman in a bar, ranting about the better times, the times when things were supposedly easy and nice. I don't want to become a drunk no one ever listens to because all she does is grumbling about what might happen soon."

"Did you ever consider wanting it this much?" he asked. He understood her point. He understood her fears – the fear to be forgotten one day and the fear of taking her secret to an early grave. He knew that she sometimes hated the alcohol but no matter how much she hated it, it was also something she could never get rid off completely as it was the only known solution to her sadness even though it was no permanent solution and mostly worked for a few hours.

"How could I?" she asked. "The secret, the wish to have a father is the motivation behind everything … it was the reason why I joined Fairy Tail … why I worked so hard to become stronger … what am I without this dream? I would be an empty shell, an unfulfilled promise."

"You would no longer carry a burden too heavy for you on your shoulders," he shrugged. "It is your life you are ruining … but I would let go and find another goal, another purpose."

She shook her head. "Determination to pull through even when it hurts," she said. "That's something I was always proud of. I cannot let go now. I would lose any self-respect I still have."

* * *

**VII**

* * *

After their return and the usual comments from their fellow fairies, Cana did not show up in the guildhall for days. This was a first because usually, she was there every day as long as she was not on a job and with her broken ankle, she was banned from working for a while.

So, after two days, Laxus found himself in front of her apartment with a Get Well card from Erza, a bouquet of flowers from Mira and a romance novel from Levy. He had complained when the women had dumped the items onto his table but a few well-chosen words from his grandfather later, he had asked Bisca for the directions before he had left for Cana's place.

This was wrong. Just because he had saved her, he had not suddenly become her babysitter – not that she needed one, anyway. Among all the woman of the guild, Cana was probably the one who would never need anyone to fight her battles. She was rather independent, something he rather liked about her as it made her a non-clingy person, someone he could talk to without having to face growing emotional attachments from her side. And yet, it sometimes annoyed her that she seemed to forget about him once he left the room. He did not need any fangirls but having a friend who was not part of the Thundergod Tribe would be rather nice, too.

He knocked impatiently, planning on handing her the presents and making his way back as soon as possible – but then, she opened and his plans were forgotten. She leaned against the doorframe, managing the crutch somehow and yet, this was not disturbing. He had read about so-called 'soul-searching' eyes, eyes full of sadness and emptiness a few years back when he had read basically everything which also included trashy romance novels. And this kind of eye was to be found in Cana's face and this was not only unusual but also strangely wrong in his eyes.

They shared a few similarities other than the issues they had with their fathers. They both mostly worked alone, rarely teamed up with someone for a job. He remembered how Gray had called her self-sufficient once and this had been right for both of them. Neither Cana nor Laxus needed anyone or anything because they were rather content on their own. Cana might spend a lot of time in the guildhall but this was not because she appreciated the company. It was because she had been asked to stay there unless she was on jobs to prevent her from falling into a depression. Makarov was worried for all of his children after all.

"You okay?" he asked even though it seemed a stupid and pointless question. Cana was not okay. She had not been okay in the longest time – not since her mother had died. She could mask her loneliness, she could laugh and smile with her friends but she would never fool him because he knew exactly what it was like to be with others and still alone.

But there was nothing he could say or do. He was terrible at expressing his feelings as well and Cana was not his friend. She was someone he would accept as his friend but she had never shown any interest in forming any sort of emotional attachment to him – not that he could blame her. He was about as unreliable as Gildarts after all.

"I am fine," she said, an obvious lie but he did not call her out on it. She knew that he knew that she was lying nonetheless because she seemed guilty for a second.

"Good," he said. "There, the other girls send their greetings, well, at least those who are not on a job now. I will be on my way now."

"Wait," she said, surprising both of them. "I just made coffee. Do you want a cup before you hit the road again?"

And this was how it came that Laxus Dreyar sat on Cana Alberona's flowery couch as she refused any help he tried to offer without implying that she was incapable.

"So," she said as the cookies and the coffee had been set onto the table. "How's the guild?"

"You could go and see for yourself," he shrugged. "But to humour you … noisy as always."

She smiled a little as she grabbed a cookie. "Oh? And here I thought that Natsu was still gone," she mused aloud as she thoughtfully sipped on her coffee.

He rolled his eyes. "Elfman and Alzack got into an argument," he explained. "That's rather ridiculous, I know, but there's no stopping those fools once they started. Anyway, I was asked a lot whether I knew why you weren't there lately."

This was a straight lie but it was better if she believed that the others had worried.

She shrugged before she sighed deeply. "I cannot explain it," she said slowly. "It's just … I needed time for myself. The kidnapping … that set me off my usual track and I need a little time to figure out what I want to do now … how I will proceed from this point onwards."

It was completely silent as Laxus mused about her words for a moment. He realised that the living room was so not-Cana-like that it seemed like a part of a foreign dimension. It looked homely, cosy and not as flashy and modern as he had expected. It was a place where time seemed to have no meaning and he had a hard time to remember how long he had been here yet. He also suddenly knew that Cana had not been drinking any alcohol in days either which explained her strange politeness and her careful way of acting.

"But … I can tell them that you will be back soon, yes?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," she nodded with a thin smile. "I just need a break from that world."

He suddenly realised what she meant by that. Cana was one of the most skilled liars he had ever met as her story why she had supposedly joined the guild had never been doubted by anyone so far. Right now, she was busily lying to herself by telling herself that things would be okay soon once more and that she had no reason to worry while in reality, it was rather unlikely that things would ever be okay again.

"You know that you are lying to yourself, yes?"

"To have a lie to live in can be rather comforting sometimes, Lightening Boy," she said with a mirthless smile. "It is a garden full of beautiful but poisonous flowers."

He sighed. "You know that this is dangerous," he said slowly. "You shouldn't live a lie. There are different ways, ways that can make the truth nicer to hear. To tell the truth, you are wasting your time if you keep telling yourself a lie … because you will never believe it anyway."

"Boldness suits you," she sighed. "Yes, you are right … of course but … I am tired of the truth. I feel like everyone abandoned me lately … Gray only hangs around with Loke and Macao is always talking with Wakaba … it's like even my best friends are leaving me."

Her frustration about this was obvious and he understood. Cana had been replaced many times before, sometimes because it had just happened like with Gray and Loke and sometimes, because she had not been willed to fight like with Gildarts and everyone he was talking with.

"You know, if you want a friend this desperately, I could try," he said, remembering times when they had been friends, back in their childhood.

He had been a hero nearly as awesome as Gildarts in her eyes back then and he had rather liked that someone had cared about him as a person and not only about the powerful mage he was. He had done it once. He could surely do it again. It was all he had ever been to her, after all, a good friend and listener to all her problems. Her eyes betrayed her confusion and he could not help but smile a little. It was not easy to explain that some things would never change and that even ten years after the six-year-old Cana had stumbled into the guild, Laxus Dreyar could still be the nice eleven year old who had welcomed her to Fairy Tail.

"I am no child anymore," she said with a frustrated sigh.

"Neither am I," he said. "But look, I can try. I am good at trying, you know that."

"You are an idiot," she whispered but the frown on her forehead eased and she smiled a little as her eyes started to shine again. "But well, I take what I can get so you're my idiot now."

Being called an idiot was not exactly flattering but seeing her smile again calmed the initial sting a little and he smiled back at her before he took a cookie as well. "Tsh, rather impolite, Alberona," he told her but they both knew that he was not exactly serious.

"Shush, you are really not the one to talk, Sparky," she said as she leaned back. It was a warm and comfortable feeling inside her chest to sit there and drink coffee and tease Laxus and be teased by him. It was nearly as if they were children again, sitting in Makarov's kitchen, drinking hot chocolate and arguing playfully about everything and nothing.

But something was different, too. They were no children anymore and as she leaned over to poke his chest, she realised something she should have long realised by now: Laxus was a rather attractive male. In a way, it made sense that she had not realised it so far. She had been too busy being the mediator between Gray's friends and Mira for the past years to pay attention to her old friend's development and then she had been rather busy with her own development.

* * *

**VIII**

* * *

Two weeks after the kidnapping incident, Laxus asked Cana out and she agreed which was a little surprising for those who witnessed the scene. It was common knowledge that Cana was friends with Gray and – to a lesser degree – with Natsu and this meant that she was – at least according to the usual loyalties – supposed to dislike Laxus. This did not keep her from accepting his invitation and so they dined in a rather expensive restaurant but as an S-class mage, Laxus could afford expensive first dates.

It was not their last date.

For the next one and a half year, they frequently went out before fate stepped in to separate them temporarily. It happened slowly as they rather drifted apart than to have a 'real' break-up. Laxus grew more and more unhappy with the way his grandfather led the guild as Cana hit a new low after yet another failed S-class exam. It was a bitter time for them both and while they did not argue like a normal couple, it was obvious that they were no longer happy. And then, about two years after the kidnapping, Laxus walked alone after his failed attempt to seize the power inside the guild and Cana was left in bitterness and with too much alcohol.

Then, Cana's fateful fifth S-class exam came around and somewhere in the whirlwind of events, Laxus returned but there was no reunion because fate was not kind enough to allow them to regain their former happiness.

The dragon attacked and within the chaos, talking was impossible.

The chance for a conversation did not happen until seven years later even though these years flashed by like a dream for those who happened to be on the island.

It was the evening before the Grand Magic Games started that Laxus and Cana talked. They talked about the bitterness of their loneliness, their happiness as they had both achieved a part of their dreams and their shame as they had both betrayed the guild.

They did not try to put the blame on the other one and so, they slowly started to fix their relationship. It was a painful progress as it always hurt to face the own shortcomings but as they reached the bottom, they found that there was still a chance left for them.

A chance they took.


End file.
